Bigcommerce Gets Funded, Adds Apps

The e-commerce software provider Bigcommerce recently announced the results of a $2 million integration fund it launched for developers in early 2012.

A plethora of developers came out to utilize the Bigcommerce API to build a variety of new integrations and applications for the e-commerce platform, which are now available in the Bigcommerce app directory. In fact, 500-plus developers originally applied to receive part of the fund, and of those applications that the company decided to endow with capital, the majority focused on providing marketing services; this is largely because Bigcommerce realized that this is the area that most of its small businesses clients had the hardest time with.

“We know that our clients want more than just a pretty online store,” said Co-CEO Eddie Machaalani. “They want traffic, orders and repeat customers. The range of apps built as a result of our integration fund not only extend on our 25 built-in marketing tools, but make it even easier for our clients to drive a stampede of targeted traffic to their Bigcommerce stores.”

Overall, 577 developers applied for funding and 31 different apps ended up being funded. The monetary funding range for individual apps started at $1,250 and went all the way to a whopping $20,000. And, following the influx of new applications as a result of the integration funding, the Bicommerce app store now has 105 total apps.

“The applications we selected are truly best-of-breed integrations that meet significant needs for our clients,” explains the other CEO, Mitchell Harper. “Using our extensive API, market-leading apps like HubSpot, MailChimp and Zendesk, as well as up-and-coming developers like Stitch Labs, are building on top of our platform and generating serious revenue.”

He adds that this is “a win-win situation for Bigcommerce, developers and, most importantly, our clients, who get to extend the functionality of their Bigcommerce stores in a nearly unlimited number of ways.”

Even though integration funding is over, the company is still encouraging developers to submit their app applications at developer.bigcommerce.com.